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Florida Panthers Sign Serron Noel To Entry-Level Contract

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The Florida Panthers have inked one of their top prospects, signing Serron Noel to a three-year entry-level contract. Noel is currently playing with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL after being selected 34th overall last June. Unlike some of the other prospects being signed right now, Noel is still young enough to potentially see the contract slide forward a year and not kick in until 2020-21.

That all depends on whether the Panthers believe he could help in the NHL next season, and after the strong year he’s had for Oshawa he’ll likely get a chance to battle for a spot in the fall. The 6’5″ winger has 75 points in 62 games and is already an excellent skater for his size. GM Dale Tallon expressed exactly that sentiment when speaking about his newest forward:

Serron is a highly skilled, hard-working, young player who we believe has the potential to be an excellent power forward for the Panthers for many years to come. At just 18 years of age, his impressive combination of size, speed and character are qualities that have helped him excel this season in Oshawa. We are thrilled to have signed Serron and look forward to his development with the Panthers.

If he doesn’t make the Panthers out of camp, which is still an extreme long shot at this point, Noel will not be allowed to play in the AHL and would be expected to return to the OHL for another season. That could very well come with an invitation to compete at the World Juniors with Team Canada, given he has already taken part in international tournaments like the Hlinka-Gretzky and the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Minor Transactions: 03/02/2019

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As always, Saturday is a busy night on the NHL schedule with ten games on tap (including the 1,000th game of the year and Jarome Iginla’s sweater retirement in Calgary) and most of the teams battling for Wild Card spots in action.  Accordingly, there should be quite a bit of roster movement today.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

  • The Coyotes announced the recall of winger Hudson Fasching from Tucson of the AHL. This will be his first stint with Arizona after they acquired him in the offseason from Buffalo.  Coming out of college, the 23-year-old looked like a legitimate power forward in the making but his offensive prowess has yet to translate to the pros as he has just 25 points in 48 games with the Roadrunners this season.
  • With Justin Faulk able to return last night, the Hurricanes have returned defenseman Jake Bean to AHL Charlotte. He had been recalled on an emergency loan on Thursday but he had to be sent down for it to not count against the four post-deadline regular recalls allowable.  Bean has had a strong rookie campaign with the Checkers, collecting 33 points in 56 games while getting into a pair of games with Carolina as well.
  • Sammy Blais is back with the Blues as he has been recalled under emergency conditions from San Antonio of the AHL. It’s already the second time this week he has been brought up under these conditions.  The winger is needed with the uncertain situations regarding center Brayden Schenn and winger David Perron who are both currently on IR and are questionable to play tonight.  Blais has played in 27 games with St. Louis this season, picking up three points along with 80 hits. When the team announced that Blais was replacing an uninjured Robby Fabbri in the lineup later in the day, however, the Blues announced that they have terminated the emergency recall and have opted to make Blais one of the team’s four regular recalls.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Detroit Red Wings have recalled rookie forward Christoffer Ehn from the AHL on an emergency basis. Ehn, a big defensive center, has been a nice piece for the Red Wings in his first season in North America. The 2014 draft pick has skated in 44 games and notched seven points and has been trusted with key defensive assignments. However, that hasn’t kept him out of the minors entirely; he has six points through 13 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. For now, he’ll return to Detroit as an injury replacement and work to show that he should finish out the year in the NHL. With Anthony Mantha healthy enough to return, the Red Wings announced they have re-assigned Ehn back to Grand Rapids before their Saturday game even started.
  • CapFriendly also adds that the Los Angeles Kings have reassigned forward Matt Luff to the nearby Ontario Reign of the AHL. Luff, 21, has been a frequent fixture of the minor news cycle this season, going between the Kings and Reign with regularity. The second-year pro has ten points in 31 games with L.A. and an impressive 21 points in just 18 games with Ontario. The big wingers is making it hard for the Kings to keep him out of the NHL, but they’ve done so again. Using his size to his advantage as a more physical player would help Luff to stay at the highest level more frequently.
  • The Florida Panthers announced that they have returned defenseman Riley Stillman to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Stillman, the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, made his NHL debut on this latest recall, skating for 11 minutes against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. The 2016 fourth-round pick has added NHL experience to a strong first AHL campaign in Springfield and has established himself as a depth option for Florida. The young blue liner could push for a more regular role with the team next season.
  • Denis Gurianov is on his way down to the minors yet again. The enigmatic Dallas Stars winger has been reassigned to AHL Texas, the team announced. With the size, skill, and skating to be an NHL regular, as well as point-per-game AHL numbers that suggest he his time in the minors has run its course, Gurianov nevertheless continues to find it hard to stick in Dallas. He has just four points in 21 games with the Stars this year, compared to 37 in 39 with their affiliate. With the team pushing for a playoff spot and in need of all the offense they can get, it’s fair that they again reassign Gurianov if he’s not producing. However, one has to wonder if the young forward needs a change of scenery if he can’t get an extended look in Dallas in his third season with the club.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Joey Anderson from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Despite an injury, Anderson had spent much of the season with New Jersey, playing 19 games after signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth last offseason. He has just two goals and three points in that span before being sent down last week before the trade deadline.

Panthers Hope To Keep Riley Sheahan Beyond This Season

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While some expected the Panthers to flip recently-acquired center Riley Sheahan by the trade deadline, they opted to keep him around instead.  GM Dale Tallon told Walter Villa of the Miami Herald that he’s quite pleased with how the 27-year-old has performed so far and that they hope to bring him back for next season.  Sheahan is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and is making $2.1MM this season.  With just 14 points in 62 games between Pittsburgh and Florida, it’s hard to imagine that it will cost considerably more to keep him around although his positional versatility certainly adds to his value.

Florida Panthers Tried To Acquire Mark Stone

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The Florida Panthers have cleared a large amount of cap room this season by trading away players like Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann, and many have speculated that they’ll use it in free agency on targets like Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While that may be true, it didn’t stop the team from going after another big fish at the trade deadline. Head coach Dale Tallon tells George Richards of The Athletic (subscription required) that the team made a “good offer” to the Ottawa Senators to try and get Mark Stone before the talented winger eventually went to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Stone is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Golden Knights, something Richards believes the Panthers were also willing to do if they could acquire the 26-year old. It makes sense, given the cap room that Florida has and already exceptional talent up front to surround Stone with. Interestingly though the team already has Mike Hoffman in the fold, who was unceremoniously ushered out of Ottawa after a very public feud with former Senators captain Erik Karlsson. It’s obviously not clear where Hoffman and Stone stand, but it didn’t stop the team from trying to acquire the latter.

Tallon admits that the team will be “very aggressive” at the end of the season, using their draft capital and cap space to improve the team. With a forward core already consisting of Hoffman, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck and Evgeni Dadonov the team has some real scoring punch. Adding a player like Stone or Panarin would make them even more dangerous, and with somewhere around $22MM in cap space (depending on where the ceiling lands) they have the room to do it and other things. The Panthers also own nine picks in the upcoming draft and could flip those for some more help.

At the very least, the fact that the Panthers were going hard to try and land a player of Stone’s caliber should be encouraging to the fan base. While this season hasn’t gone as hoped, there should be real excitement for an offseason that should be filled with fireworks.

Minor Transactions: 02/26/19

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The trade deadline has come and gone, meaning roster limits are no longer in effect for the NHL. Teams are allowed to carry as many players as possible, though hold just four non-emergency recalls through the end of the season. While many teams used those recalls to complete paper transactions in order to maintain minor league playoff eligibility for their young stars, others will use them over the next few weeks. We’ll be right here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Riley Stillman from the minor leagues, giving them another defenseman down the stretch. Stillman, the son of former Panthers alternate captain Corey Stillman, has 11 points in 46 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds in his first year of professional hockey.
  • Zach Trotman has been recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins, another healthy defenseman to fill in while they assess the injuries to Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. The team acquired two defenders yesterday, meaning Trotman likely won’t stay with the club through the end of the season. The 28-year old has 70 games of NHL experience under his belt.
  • Justin Bailey was sent back to the minor leagues by the Philadelphia Flyers, a move that means he won’t get to face off against his old team tonight. The Buffalo Sabres are in Philadelphia and will also not have to face Wayne Simmonds after the power forward was dealt yesterday.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Danny O’Regan from the minor leagues after their loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. O’Regan had been with the team already and was involved in a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL playoffs.
  • Kurtis MacDermid is up with the Los Angeles Kings and is expected to play against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. MacDermid hasn’t played a game in the NHL this season but suited up 34 times for the Kings last year.

Colorado’s Matt Nieto Out 6-8 Weeks

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What was originally considered to be a minor injury has turned out to be anything but for Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Nieto. Just days after stating Nieto was “dinged up” and would miss Saturday night’s game, BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele relays news from GM Joe Sakic tonight that Nieto is expected to miss six to eight weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

The timeline leaves little to no chance that Nieto will return in the regular season. If the Avalanche make the playoffs, his availability would be in question through at least the first round, if not longer. It’s a tough blow for both the team and the player in what has been a career year for Nieto. The 2011 second-round pick has been nothing if not consistent over his NHL career as a bottom-six forward. Including this season, Nieto has recorded at least double-digit points in 58 or more games in each of his six seasons. His best year to date came in his sophomore campaign with the San Jose Sharks, when he registered 27 points in 72 games, although he nearly matched that total last season in Colorado. However, with 22 points already through 58 games this year, Nieto was on pace to finish the 2017-18 season with 30 points. This injury ensures that won’t happen, robbing Nieto of a new career best and the Avalanche of one of their top-nine scoring forwards.

Fortunately, Sakic and company did manage to add Derick Brassard from the Florida Panthers at the deadline at a relative bargain rate and he will be in the lineup right away tonight when the Avs face those same Panthers. Even amidst a miserable season for the veteran forward, Brassard is a major addition for Colorado and should arguably be considered the best non-first line forward on the club the rest of the way. If he plays up to that expectation, he will more than make up for Nieto’s absence and could be the key to the Avalanche winning a playoff spot and Nieto seeing the ice again this season. Beyond Brassard, Tyson Jost, Sven Andrighetto, and Sheldon Dries are among the others who could be asked to step up in Nieto’s stead. The fate of the Avs’ season may rest in their ability to emulate their fallen teammate’s work ethic and tenacity on the ice.

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

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The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

 

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

 

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

 

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

 

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

 

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Read more

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Chris Wideman

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Defenseman Chris Wideman is on the move for the third time this season. The impending free agent has been traded by the Florida Panthers to the Pittsburgh Penguins, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that forward Jean-Sebastien Dea heads the other way to Florida.

Wideman began the season with the Ottawa Senators, but was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November for a sixth-round pick. After he wasn’t a fit in Edmonton, Wideman was sent to the Florida Panthers as part of the package for Alexander Petrovic. He now joins his fourth team of the season in Pittsburgh, but it may be his best opportunity yet at play time. Having played just six games combined since leaving Ottawa, Wideman now joins a team that is currently without Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Olli Maatta and will ask he and another new acquisition, Erik Gudbranson, to help make up for their absences. For now, Wideman will report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but will likely be recalled if Letang and Dumoulin remain sidelined.

Meanwhile, Dea has also been on the move frequently this year. The 25-year-old forward played 20 games with the New Jersey Devils after being claimed on waivers earlier this season, but returned to Pittsburgh via waivers afterward. Dea has spent the majority of the season in the AHL, only playing three games for the Penguins. He now heads to Florida where he will try to prove he is worthy of regular play time. Dea is currently a candidate for Group 6 free agency at the end of the season, so his time with the Panthers could be short-lived.

Nathan Beaulieu, Bogdan Kiselevich Traded To Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets were in the market for a depth defenseman, and they have found a pair in Nathan Beaulieu and Bogdan Kiselevich. The Buffalo Sabres have traded Beaulieu to the Jets in exchange for a 2019 sixth-round pick, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, while a 2021 seventh-round selection is heading to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Kiselevich, reports colleague Darren Dreger. Both defenders are impending free agents, Beaulieu an RFA and Kiselevich a UFA.

Beaulieu, 26, proved to be a poor fit in Buffalo. After recording 28 points in 74 games in his final season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17, Beaulieu was dealt to the Sabres for a third-round pick. Less than two years later, he had registered just 16 points in a combined 89 games and Buffalo were content to move on for a mere sixth-rounder. Beaulieu has shown to be a capable puck-moving defenseman, but the system and the depth chart worked against him with the Sabres. Now in Winnipeg, Beaulieu is likely to challenge for regular play time with several Jets defenders injured. A strong showing down the stretch or in the postseason could even earn him an extended stay with the team. Beaulieu will be owed a $2.5MM qualifying offer for the Jets to retain his rights and the team is facing a difficult cap crunch this off-season, so Beaulieu will really have to perform well in his brief time with the team.

As for Kiselevich, the 29-year-old is in his first NHL season after coming over from the KHL. Kiselevich has only seen 32 games worth of action to this point with Florida – likely why the team was happy to move him for just a future seventh-rounder – but has actually played well in his limited exposure. Nevertheless, this is very much a deep depth addition for the Jets and Kiselevich may never actually suit up for the team. If he hopes to stay in the NHL beyond this season though, he will try to earn some ice time before the end of the year.

Colorado Avalanche Acquire Derick Brassard

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The Florida Panthers have found a buyer for Derick Brassard, sending the forward to the Colorado Avalanche along with a sixth-round pick according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Panthers will receive a 2020 third-round pick. If the Avalanche re-sign Brassard, they will not receive the sixth-round pick. At least he won’t need to get on a plane, as the Panthers are in Colorado to face the Avalanche tonight.

It has been a year of extremes for both Brassard and the Avalanche, who will now come together in an attempt to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. For Brassard this is the second time he has been traded this season and the third time in a calendar year. His stock has dropped incredibly over that year following a disappointing performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 66 games for the Penguins including the playoffs, Brassard recorded just 27 points and was never a fit. In Florida, he put up four points in ten games and still didn’t look like the borderline first-line center he was a few years ago.

Still, for an Avalanche team that was considered a Stanley Cup contender through the first two months of the year this is another step in the right direction. After falling almost completely out of the playoff race the team has won four games in a row and climbed back into contention for a wild card spot. Brassard should give the team a real boost to secondary scoring and could anchor a second line that has given them trouble all year. All that for a third-round pick is a worthwhile gamble, especially given Brassard is relatively inexpensive.

After seeing part of his contract retained, Brassard carries just a $3MM full-season cap hit and is almost free in terms of actual salary. Brassard’s deal was heavily front loaded and he is earning just $1MM total salary this season.

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